The fraudster allegedly stole the identity of Kenyan lawyer Brian Mwenda and appeared in 26 cases before Kenya’s Court of Appeal, High Court and magistrates’ courts.

The Law Society of Kenya has said “masqueraders pose a serious threat to the practice of law” and it is “determined to take decisive action to deal with this issue”.

However, the fake Mr Mwenda has also been praised on social media, by Kenya’s main trade union centre and by the former governor of Nairobi, the BBC reports.

“Give the man an honorary law degree,” one person wrote on Twitter.